I came for the food

This weekend was planned with one idea in mind: food.I never really considered going to Brussels. Maybe it was because I never really heard of anyone going or say how beautiful the place was, but whenever I didn’t have plans made for the weekend and someone mentioned going there for french-fries, why would I say no??So yes, the Belgium checklist of foods was completed: French fries, waffles, and chocolate.We left at 7AM Saturday morning for a two and a half hour train ride to Brussels. The moment we got off the train and saw two people kiss checks once greeting, we remembered that we entered the French culture and the language barrier would only continue.  We headed off to our airbnb to where we were staying to drop stuff off before we continued our journey. By this time we were starving and it was time for some waffles (but in Belgium, it is always time for waffles). I started with a delicious omelet and finished with a strawberry Belgium waffle.  It was marvelous. The strawberries were fresh and the waffle was so crisp and warm. I was so content with everything.Shortly after our lunch, we were off to explore Brussels. None of us really had in mind what to do, so we just went as we pleased. We walked by the Royal Palace and into Brussels Park. The weather was so great that we decided to just hang out and relax for a couple of hours. I think it was so great that we decided to do that because when you are traveling so much and are always on the go, you easily forget to take tome and stop and enjoy the moment. Most of us were exhausted from long days and our feet were tired, so it was really good to just chill.After our rest at the park, we were off to find French Fries. It honestly wasn’t a hard task because French fry stands are located about every other block in the main town areas. Alana and I shared an order of fries with Brazil sauce and oh my, they were so yummy. Belgian fries are double fried so you get the perfect amount of crispy potato. They’ve definitely figured out the right proportions for the perfect fry. By now we were just walking in the Grand-Place, which is just a square surrounded by beautiful buildings and restaurants. We went to the chocolate store and probably spent too much time deciding what to buy for ourselves, and what to buy for loved ones at home. The few chocolates I had were really rich and creamy, and with my sweet tooth, I was so happy. While walking around we also saw the classic statue of the “pissing boy” and the comic paintings on the sides of buildings. One thing I noticed is that Brussels was more culturally diverse than the other cities we have visited. Most of us weren’t too hungry for dinner, so we ate a small meal and then went back to the airbnb. One great thing I have really enjoyed about the trip is the great friendships you make while here. Spending six weeks with 24 other people you never met, and then traveling overseas, creates friendships that were never really expected. That night we had a great time just hanging out and telling stories and laughing a bunch.Sunday morning we head out for brunch at this cute café in the Grand Place, and I had the best hot chocolate in my entire life. From there we headed to St. Michael’s church. It was Sunday morning (ish) and a mass service was taking place. Not only am I not catholic, but I don’t speak French so I felt very out of place. Though we were not the only ones to walk into the back of the church to see the beauty and observe, I still felt like a disturbance to those who were engaging in the service, so we left after a few short minutes. The cathedral was very pretty, though after visiting the one in Cologne, none will ever compare. We then went to a different park to relax for a couple of hours. By then, it was time for a snack, so we went on a hunt for some fries. Though I didn’t think it was possible, this fry stand was much better than the previous one. With only a few hours left we went to get our last purchases to take home. The chocolate that I bought to take home doesn’t look like it did when I first bought it, but I’m sure it will still taste as great as intended. And of course, I had to leave the country in the right state of mind, so Juliette and I split a belgiun waffle with strawberries and speculoos. Again, I was so satisfied with this decision.Now this is when things get exciting. What’s a trip in Europe without train issues, RIGHT? We get to the train station and our platform with ten extra minutes (which here, that’s more than enough usually). And we realized that the signs weren’t lit for our train and nobody else was there. We ask a worker if we were at the right place, and we were informed that the train was CANCELED!! We were directed to the long line at the information booth to find out that we would need to take a train, bus, train, tram, and then be back in Bonn (like a 5 hour adventure instead of the 2.5 planned and reserved). So, we head on our first train ride, and get off at what we thought was our stop. We head over to the busses while Juliette and Carter go find out which bus to take. They found out that we actually got off at a stop too early, but a Thalys train (super high speed) was leaving in THREE minutes and would take us straight to Cologne, saving us almost two more hours. We all sprint across the station to get on the train right as it arrives. There were no seats open, so we ended up sitting in the luggage/bathroom areas between carts. Honestly, it was hilarious and we had some great laughs and memories made during that time. We finally get to Cologne, and our tram that was to take us to Bonn was running 50 minutes late, so we grab another tram instead that came about 15 minutes later. We made it back to Bonn and we all made it to our host homes. Maybe not at 9:30 as we expected, but we were all safe, and came back with some funny stories.So Brussels was a success, and I would most definitely love to go back. We are now headed off to Norderney for a few days and I think we are all really excited about being on the island! Until next time,-Emily*Internet won't let me upload pictures right now, so sorry*